Abstract: In the context of the sharing economy, Airbnb has become a formidable mode of
accommodation in the tourism industry worldwide, with a presence in over 34,000 cities in
191 countries. However, the risks associated with online bookings are significant dimensions of
this e-market domain. This study assesses Airbnb hosts’ perceived risks and investigates the effects
of service, financial, safety and security, psychological and political risks on the host’s satisfaction and
intention to continue and recommend this business to potential hosts. A survey was administered to
221 Airbnb hosts located in Northern Cyprus. Structural equation modeling (SEM) was used to test
the proposed conceptual model. The results revealed that host satisfaction is negatively influenced
by financial and safety and security risks; continuance intention is negatively affected by financial,
safety and security, and political risks; intention to recommend this business is negatively affected by
political risk; and psychological risk increases satisfaction and intention to continue and recommend.
By highlighting the theoretical and managerial implications, this study informs Airbnb management
of the potential risks associated with this peer-to-peer (P2P) business in order to minimize the
associated risks, enhance host satisfaction and the quality of their services, and encourage hosts to
recommend Airbnb to their peers.